posted at 9:41 pm on September 3, 2014 by Mary Katharine Ham

Chad Taylor, a district attorney, informed the Kansas Secretary of State Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the race. Originally, his statement said “suspended,” but the word was lined through and replaced with a handwritten “terminated.”

Taylor issued a separate statement saying he made the decision after consulting with his staff, supporters and Democratic Party leaders. He did not give a reason.

Kansas.com reported Wednesday that Taylor’s move could lead to broader support for the independent candidate in the race, Olathe businessman Greg Orman. There is also a Libertarian candidate, Randall Batson, of Wichita.

The move, which came on the last day for ballot changes, could clear the way for Democrats to rally behind Greg Orman, an independent candidate who has left the door open to caucusing with both parties if elected. Orman, who used to be a Democrat and a Republican, has been viewed as a more viable opponent against Sen. Pat Roberts (R), who polls show is vulnerable. Orman has raised a lot more money than Taylor.

“This is certainly an unexpected turn of events. Chad Taylor is a committed public servant. He ran an honorable campaign and worked hard, and I wish him and his family well,” said Orman in a statement.

In an interview with The Washington Post last week, Orman would not say which party he would caucus with if elected. He suggested that he would side with whichever party is in the majority and would consider joining both sides if he ends up being the deciding vote.

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If the GOP finishes with 51 or more Senators with Roberts and McConnell getting shipped out*, I would ask anyone with some free time that night to check in on me, as I may be indulging in unhealthy amounts of hoarse laughter and alcohol.

*or not really, since they live in Washington and sure as hell aren’t taking up residence in some hick state when they’re done in Congress.

The U.S. Justice Department notified Ferguson, Mo., police officials Wednesday that the federal government would launch a broad investigation into the policing practices of the city, a person briefed on the matter said.

Justice officials were expected to formally announce their intentions as soon as Thursday, said the person who was not authorized to comment publicly.

The inquiry, to be conducted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, will examine years of data to determine whether the department engaged in a so-called pattern and practice of discriminatory policing and the use of excessive force, the source said.

The last thing Greg Orman wants swing voters to take to the polls with them on Nov. 4 is that “The chances that Greg Orman will caucus with Democrats is much, much higher.” If that wasn’t the case, Chad Taylor wouldn’t have dropped out of the race as the official Democratic Party candidate, because it would mean Kansas voters want a Democrat elected to the Senate who’ll back Obama and Reid.

Orman at the very least wants to paint himself in the Joe Lieberman 2006 “independent” vein, where he voted mainly, but not always, with the Democrats and the left side of the party hated his guts. You’re trying to frame him in the Bernie Saunders “independent” vein, where the word has no meaning, because Bernie votes with Harry Reid 99.9 percent of the time. Which is the exact point Roberts’ people are going to try and make about Orman between now and Election Day.

In an interview with The Washington Post last week, Orman would not say which party he would caucus with if elected. He suggested that he would side with whichever party is in the majority and would consider joining both sides if he ends up being the deciding vote.

@Ned:FYI, as both a 5-yr KS TEA Party activist and a Milton Wolf county leader, please allow me to offer the strongest possible assurances that KS TEA Party conservatives are no more eager to vote for Greg Ormond(I) than we would have been to vote for Chad Taylor(D).

Unlike the average man-in-the-street/low-information voters, we do our homework, we’ve done our research, and we know that Greg Ormond is just another f’idiot lib-ocrite, and if there’s one political creature worse than a RINO, it’s a lib who isn’t even honest enough to admit he’s a Democrat.

We are sick-&-tired of being sick-&-tired, of being treated like the doormats & red-headed step-children of the GOP elites, and we’re having ongoing discussions across the state about the best way(s) to address the current situation vis-a-vis the US Senate race (and a laundry-list of other issues)…

In an interview with The Washington Post last week, Orman would not say which party he would caucus with if elected. He suggested that he would side with whichever party is in the majority and would consider joining both sides if he ends up being the deciding vote.

Hmmm…I seem to remember meeting his sister at a fraternity party several years back. She was a lot of fun…

R vs. D is for better or worse ingrained into the American political mindset. In a race among two competitive candidates the guy who isn’t the R is therefore de facto the D.

Orman’s chance may have gone down. He’s no longer the Independent, not the R/not the D. He’s simply “not the R.” He’s now the 50th vote for Harry Reid. He’s the best option for Obama among those offered by Kansas this cycle. He has Pat Roberts to his right and a vast amount of space to his left that he now occupies by default. Of anybody on the ballot, Greg Orman has had the most friendly contact with high ranking national Democrats.

As much as I hammered in my message in the paragraph above it’s nothing compared to what Kansas voters will hear over the next two months. Orman = Reid = Democrat = the guy who lost Kansas 60-37 in 2012.

In an interview with The Washington Post last week, Orman would not say which party he would caucus with if elected. He suggested that he would side with whichever party is in the majority and would consider joining both sides if he ends up being the deciding vote.

With Obama as their leader, democrats running for office realize they are fighting an uphill battle. So in Kansas the democrat dropped out and will endorse (any day now) the independent. This “independent” will campaign as anything but a democrat. Once elected he will declare himself a democrat and vote against common sense.

In an interview with The Washington Post last week, Orman would not say which party he would caucus with if elected. He suggested that he would side with whichever party is in the majority and would consider joining both sides if he ends up being the deciding vote.

He can be bribed to join one side or the other… such strong principles there: he is not saying ‘a pox on BOTH your houses’ but ‘give me enough goodies and I will join you’.

It isn’t often you get an honest mercenary in a Senate race, that’s for sure.

It seems there is absolutely nothing wrong with Kansas, if Dems understand they don’t have an ice cube’s chance in hell winning there. They’re backing a self-funding businessman over their own party nominee? Hahaha, they’re not only going to lose there, but they feel they need to dump more money on other races that must look all but lost.

How much money have they wasted on Hagan only to see her crash and burn once the state house is adjourned? They gave Landrieu the energy committee chairmanship, she got Chamber of Commerce support, and she is still losing by Labor Day. Even Shaheen is slipping to Brown.

Now 538 is calling the senate for the GOP. Dems are going to lose big time. If they can’t take Kansas, they can’t take Georgia or Kentucky, that’s for sure.